Manufacture of sugar

ABSTRACT

Method of reducing the viscosity of sugar solutions, such as massecuite, by the addition thereto of one or more aromatic organic sulphonic acids, their salts or derivatives, in sufficient quantity.

United States Patent [1 1 Suzor 1 Apr. 8, 1975 MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR [76] Inventor: Norland Louis Claude Suzor, Bo

5598, Nchalo. Malawi [22] Filed: Oct. 30, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 301,815

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 30, 1971 South Africa 71/5754 [52] US. Cl 127/46 R; 127/58; 252/353 [51] Int. Cl. Cl3d l/00;Cl3f1/O2 [58] Field of Search 127/46 R; 252/353 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1956 Fikc 252/353 X 9/1961 Kooijman 252/353 X 4/1963 Dieckelmann 252/353 X l l/l969 Sanders 127/46 R X OTHER PUBLICATIONS Chemical Abstracts, 65, l2395f 1966).

Hackh's Chemical Dictionary," J. Grant, ed., Fourth Edition, 646, McGraw-l-Iill, New York, 1969.

Primary E.\'aminerMorris O. Wolk Assistant Examiner-Sidney Marantz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Young & Thompson [57] ABSTRACT 5 Claims, No Drawings MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR This invention relates to the lowering of the viscosity of sugar solutions particularly in the crystallisation METHOD I Measuring the amperage of the motor driving crystalliser rotating cooling elements with a constant volume of massecuite in the crystalliser.

stage and more particularly at the massecuite stage.

The separation of crystallised sugar from the mas- Trial to Compare Effect of D'fferem Addmves secuite is achieved by centrifugals, the crystals inside Ob ervations were made on massecuites boiled on the drum being washed with water or steam. The boila footi (made in the same graining pan and cut ing, cooling and centrifuging process is repeated a secto the same finishing pan) Amperage of Crystalliscr Motor Additive Brix Purity Dru pr ming l-hr Z-hr -hr 4-hr X-hr v 979s 55.0 4.x 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.2 5.6

Nil 98.13 55.6 5.3 5.6 5.7 5.9 6.4 7.l

0nd and perhaps a third time until a final molasses is The additives were added in the crystallisers at the produced, which contains unrecoverable sugar because dropping of the pans at the rate of 1,67 kg of 30% AM. ofthe high content of non-sugars preventing crystallisaper 100 m of massecuite It is assumed from above, tion of the sugar. the increased solubility of the sucrose that once the fluidity of the massecuite has been inn h in r a is sity f h m h iq creased it more or less retained that low viscosity in The prevalent practices in the sugar industry for case X even after cooling when the temperature had counteracting the viscosity of the massecuite and other dropped from 68C to 43C. solutions include the addition of water to dilute the The massecuites were then cured in three continuous massecuite with comcomitant solution of sucrose and m if m therefor resulting in a reduced yield; and the re-heating prior to centrifuging which also results in solution of sucrose.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the Brix of Purity Purity of ii iig viscosity of massecuite or other sugar solutions with a Additi e Molass s Molass s C Sugar Added Fl"/Hr minimum or elimination of dilution and/or re-heating. X j 164 89 Ni] According to the present invention, one or more aro Y 5E :2 8 ,7 N l iii) matic organic sulphonic acids. their salts or derivatives 2 H 32 are added to a sugar solution, preferably at a crystallil sation stage, in sufficient quantity substantially to reduce the viscosity thereof. 40

In a preferred form of the invention, the additive is METHOD ll chosen from alkyl aryl sulphonate detergents and it has Measurin the Wei ht of molasses forced out of a been found that the products sold by Shell Chemicals g g b under the name TEEPOL CH53 or CH 31 or by ICl as massecuite through a fme screeil fitted to h ALKANATE DB are particularly useful. of a cylinder under constant air pressure in a given The products listed above have the following characteristics. TEEPOL CH53 and TEEPOL CH31 aqueous solutions of the sodium salts of biologically soft Trial to Estimate Effect Of Additive A alkyl benzene sulphonates and non ionic detergents.

They are predominantly anionic in character. A for two C mass,ecultes was made i i ALKANATE DB diodegradable detergem active same time, and then half of it was cut to the finishing ingredient is the sodium salt of dodecyl benzene 'sul- The first cuttmg was not treatec, wlth any add! phonate tive and was dropped and a sample sub ected to a pres- References made to the above products in the specisure filtranon test fication and claims are to be taken to be references to 55 Then the Second half of the footmg was transferred to the same finishing pan and additive X was added at the rate of 1,67 Kg of 30% active material per m before drink of molasses. The massecuite was also subjected to the pressure test.

Test A Time to Massecuite Molasses Weight of collect Additive Bx Pur Bx Pur Molasses Sample Nil 99.24 54.5 99.66 45.0 815 gm 3 /z-hrs X 94.96 54.7 94,80 43.6 248 gm Z-hrs It was noticed that at the addition of the additive X, the conductivity reading on the cuitometer increased by 10% of the full scale deflection, and at the same time the temperature of the massecuite increased from 70C to 75C which was an indication of better circulation due to improved heat transfer.

Also the two Brixes in test a were obtained with the same conductivity reading on the cuitometer so on Test b compensation was made to have the same Brixes on both massecuites.

Test B Time to Massecuitc Molasses Weight of collect Additive Bx Pur Bx Pur Molasses Sample Nil 98.l8 54.6 95.52 46.8 100 gm 3 /z-hrs X 96.66 54.3 )4.56 44.0 125.7 gm lA-hrs Table One gives the analyses of the average composite samples of final molasses produced.

Tests 1 to 3 no additive in massecuite.

Test 4: all pans were treated with X at the rate of 1.68 kg per 100 rn after graining before growing the grain on molasses and L68 kg per 100 m halfway through the finishing pan and the same amount added in the crystalliser before centrifuging. No reheating was done on the massecuite and the purity of the C sugar was at an average of 89.

Tests to 8: no addition of X and C massecuite was reheated to enable maintaining centrifuging rate. Also during that period the purity of the sugar averages approximately 82.

Tests 9 l3: a footing for two C massecuites was made.

The first cutting was not treated and the second cutting was treated the same way as in Test 4 mentioned above.

Tests 14 16: the full treatment of X was resumed.

It can be seen from Table One the reduction in purity of molasses achieved and the difference between the true purity and the Douwes Dekker target purity.

TABLE I True "Douwes Purity Dekker" Test Sucrose Target Dry Solids Purity I 45.5 42.4 2 49.0 44.5 3 46.7 44.6 4 40.8 43.4 5 46.l 44.l 6 48.3 45.6 7 44.0 8 50.5 46,9 9 43.9 43.9 10 46.6 46.4 I 1 46.3 46.7 12 45.3 46.4 13 46.0 46.1 14 43.2 44.6 15 43.4 45.! I6 44.6 44.8

In addition to the benefits described above, the volume of C massecuite boiled can be reduced by graining on a mixture ofB' molasses and syrup having a relatively high refractometric purity provided that the additive is added at the rate of 5 kg to each 100 m of footing before seeding the graining pan. This is possible because the crystal yield is far greater when the additive is used.

I claim:

l. A method of reducing the viscosity of sugar solutions including the step of adding a predetermined amount of an aromatic organic sulphonic acid or a salt or derivative thereof thereto.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which the additive is an aqueous solution of the sodium salt of a biologically soft alkyl benZene sulfonate additionally containing a non-ionic detergent.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the additive is an alkyl aryl sulphonate detergent.

sulfonate. 

1. A METHOD OF REDUCING THE VISCOSITY OF SUGAR SOLUTIONS INCLUDING THE STEP OF ADDING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF AN AROMATIC ORGANIC SULPHONIC ACID OR A SALT OR DERIVATIVE THEREOF THERETO.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which the additive is an aqueous solution of the sodium salt of a biologically soft alkyl benzene sulfonate
 3. The method of claim 1 in which the additive is an alkyl aryl sulphonate
 4. A method of reducing the viscosity of massecuite including the step of adding thereto one or more alkyl aryl sulphonate detergents in
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which the additive comprises the sodium salt of dodecyl benzene sulfonate. 